It is my honor and privilege as President of the Hispanic Dental Association and on behalf of our Board of Directors and staff to introduce our new Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer (ED & CEO)

Manuel A. Cordero, DDS, CPH, MAGD

Dr. Cordero is Immediate Past-President of the Academy of General Dentistry and brings a skill set and experience level ideal for our organization. We believe his contribution will be a stepping stone for our future growth as we continue to embrace our mission.

Manuel A. Cordero, DDS left his native Puerto Rico the summer of 1972 to study at Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania. He was the recipient of a full merit scholarship, the Jose Padín Scholarship, awarded to one student annually, to attend Haverford College. He graduated with honors in June 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Certificate in Secondary Education.

The summer following graduation he taught at Northfield Mount Herman School, having been awarded a fellowship in Photography. Following the summer Fellowship, Dr. Cordero began an internship at Southeast National Bank, as a management trainee. Within two years he was the Assistant Manager to one of the most successful branches of Southeast National Bank. He left that position with a wealth of financial knowledge as well as management skills that continue benefitting him to this day. However, he never abandoned his interest in the medical field. Within a year of graduation, Dr. Cordero enrolled in post baccalaureate classes with the intention of enrolling in Dental School. In the fall of 1979, Dr. Cordero began his dental training at Temple University School of Dental Medicine and graduated in May 1983.

Dr. Cordero opened his primary practice in Sewell, NJ in 1983, it became a thriving family practice in the same town since its inception. He never forgot his roots and desire to serve the Hispanic community. By the fall of 1984, he purchased an office from a retiring dentist in Vineland New Jersey, a community with a large Hispanic, primarily Puerto Rican and Mexican, population. At the time in 1984, he was the only Spanish speaking dentist in the community. It is with great pride that Dr. Cordero serves the Hispanic community in addition to a very diverse and eclectic community of patients in Vineland, these patients have been treated by one of the most educated dentists in the US, having received Fellowships from the most prestigious organizations in our country, bringing cutting edge and fine dentistry to this underserved community.

Dr. Cordero promptly recognized the need to pursue continuing education during his first year of practice. In 1984 he began taking continuing education classes and seminars, and by 1987, Dr. Cordero joined the Academy of General Dentistry. In 1997 he completed over 1000 hours of continuing education and after passing the Fellowship Exam, he receives his Fellowship, and, in the summer of 2000, he was recognized as a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry. Over the years, Dr. Cordero has been a member of several board and organizations, including but not limited to the VDID (Vineland Downtown Improvement District), Society of Ibero Latin American Medical Professionals, Hispanic American Medical Association. He received Fellowships from the American College of Dentists, the College of Dentistry International, Pierre Fauchard Society, He was awarded Diplomate status of the American Board of Forensic Dentistry and has been honored as one of 29 mentors of the Academy of Richard V. Tucker Study Clubs. He has been an active participant in numerous community activities, Give Kids a Smile, local cancer society screenings and mentoring of college students interested in the medical/dental field.

He has been a member of the ADA since he joined the AGD and is presently the Immediate Past president of the Academy of General Dentistry after serving in his New Jersey Region at all levels of leadership and service. While working as a Trustee at the AGD, he continued the work of previous leaders and laid down the groundwork to allow International membership to become a reality for the selective and prestigious Academy of General Dentistry. He has also been an integral part of the leadership which is responsible for the diversification and integration of all genders and ethnic groups into the AGD. His visits to Washington DC have resulted in the Oral Health Literacy campaign of the AGD being adopted by HRSA and has secured funding for this life changing endeavor. Public Health and his pursuit to serve others have been the fuel that has driven his education and professional activities.

As the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Hispanic Dental Association he intends to lead them into the future to accomplish the goals and dreams of his organization. The knowledge and experience that he has gained over the years will help him focus the organization into becoming a beacon of hope and a roadway to success for all those that are engaged in providing and contributing to the improvement of Oral Health and Overall Health to the Hispanics as well as other underserved communities.

Please welcome him to the Hispanic Dental Association Always at your service,